


drive so fast (they’re never gonna find you)

by seaunicorn



Category: The Prom - Sklar/Beguelin/Martin
Genre: Car Chase, F/F, I honestly don’t know what to call this au, Magical Creatures, These tags might just make you even more confused, meet cute, road trip sort of?, science fiction/fantasy au, truck driver au, what’s in the box?
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-26
Updated: 2019-12-26
Packaged: 2021-02-26 13:08:31
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,465
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21969838
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/seaunicorn/pseuds/seaunicorn
Summary: “What the hell am I transporting? Military grade weapons or some shit?” She signed the form and handed it back to Alyssa who took it with a swift movement.Alyssa’s eyes quickly scanned the paper, but after a moment she glanced back up to Emma. “I’m afraid that information is a little above your pay grade, Nolan,” she said with a small smirk.Or....weird au? Honestly I have no idea what to call this au. Read the tags if you want to be confused or just go in blind, I guess?
Relationships: Alyssa Greene/Emma Nolan
Comments: 5
Kudos: 52





	drive so fast (they’re never gonna find you)

It was mid-morning on a Thursday when Emma’s boss informed her of a new, upcoming job. She had just finished up another delivery when she received the address of her next stop. Madison Industries, one of the biggest science testing corporations in the city. And her drop off location? A few hours outside of town in the middle of nowhere. Emma wasn’t even sure if her GPS would work that far out of town.

But work is work, and Emma wasn’t going to complain. “What am I picking up?” she asked her boss.

“I wasn’t given that information, and I didn’t ask,” Barry replied. “I’d suggest you do the same.”

“Yes sir.”

So after lunch, Emma hopped back into her large, nondescript, semi truck and made her way to Madison Industries.

Emma pulled up at the loading dock and backed her truck right up against the raised platform. There was already a group of people there waiting for her, it seemed. She stepped out and walked up the ramp to the group, fishing in the pockets of her cargo pants for the folded up piece of paper with the details of her assignment on it.

Emma cleared her throat. “Hi,” she said. She unfolded the piece of paper and quickly scanned it. “I’m looking for an A. Greene?”

“You’re here for the delivery?”

Emma nodded, and her gaze followed the voice. She finally noticed that the other three people seemed to just be some sort of security. This A. Greene was definitely the most important one here. She wore a lab coat and had an ID badge at her waist. Emma squinted at it and read off her first name. “Alyssa.”

Alyssa raised an eyebrow at her. “And you are?”

“Emma Nolan with D. D. Trucking and Delivery.” Emma held out her hand which Alyssa quickly took for a handshake. “At your service.”

“Well, Miss Nolan, I’m sure you’ve been informed this is a sensitive delivery. I expect you’ll handle it with the utmost caution and professionalism?”

“I always do,” Emma said. She stuck her hands in her pockets and gave Alyssa a crooked grin.

Alyssa immediately looked away from Emma and down at the clipboard in her hands. “I’m going to need you to fill this out.” She handed over the clipboard.

Emma began filling out the information. It was all pretty standard. Full name, date, time of pick-up, and then the form asked for her birthday, full address, and social security number. “Really? My social?” she asked.

“It’s standard for all our operations,” Alyssa explained.

Emma scoffed, but filled out the rest of the form regardless. “What the hell am I transporting? Military grade weapons or some shit?” She signed the form and handed it back to Alyssa who took it with a swift movement.

Alyssa’s eyes quickly scanned the paper, but after a moment she glanced back up to Emma. “I’m afraid that information is a little above your pay grade, Nolan,” she said with a small smirk.

“Ouch.” Emma clutched a hand over her chest, mock offended. “That stings.”

Alyssa rolled her eyes. “Just get the back of your truck open and we’ll load the package.”

“Yes ma’am.” She jumped down from the platform and pulled open the back of her truck. As she did, they brought out a large crate, sealed with a keypad lock. There was no way of seeing what was inside. “Well now I’m even more curious,” she called out to Alyssa.

“Don’t be,” Alyssa said plainly.

As the package was loaded onto the truck, Emma made her way back to where Alyssa stood, watching. She fished the paper out of her pocket again, then dug through searching for a pen. She pulled the cap off with her teeth and handed them over to Alyssa. “And for you to sign.”

Alyssa smoothed out the paper on her clipboard and scrawled a quick signature. She handed it back, wordlessly.

Emma gave her a mock salute. “Until next time, Greene,” she said, walking backwards, unsure if she would ever even see the woman again. “It’s been a real pleasure.”

“Drive safe, Nolan.”

“I promise I won’t damage your precious cargo.”

Alyssa rolled her eyes, but Emma spotted a small smile on her lips before she turned around. Satisfied, Emma strutted back to the driver’s seat of her truck and climbed inside. As she closed the door behind her and started the engine, she could have sworn she heard a loud thud from behind her, but when she listened more closely, there was nothing.

Well, her job was nothing if not interesting.

* * *

One week later, Emma found herself driving back to Madison Industries on Thursday after lunch. The name on her assignment was once again A. Greene. She pulled her truck up to the loading dock, hopped out, and opened the back. Alyssa Greene was already waiting for her with the same entourage of security.

When Alyssa recognized her, she said, “Great, it’s you again,” and immediately looked down at her clipboard.

“Don’t sound so excited to see me,” Emma said. “Here I was looking forward to coming back.”

Alyssa blushed. “I was—I just meant—“ she stuttered for a moment, then took a quick breath and looked up at Emma, eyes calm. “You already filled out the security form last week, so you can just use the standard sign out sheet this week.” She awkwardly held up her clipboard, showing a different form than last week. All this one asked for was a date, time, and signature.

Emma took the clipboard and quickly signed it. “Much easier.”

“I take it you didn’t screw up the delivery so they sent you back.”

“You mean you didn’t personally ask for me again?” Emma handed back the clipboard and Alyssa looked over the information. “I’m hurt.”

Alyssa ignored Emma’s comment and called over her shoulder. “All good to load it!” A team of men began pushing another crate, sealed with a keypad lock, about the same size as the one last week.

“So what is it this time?” Emma asked. “Wait, let me guess. Illegal fireworks?”

Alyssa raised an eyebrow at her, slightly amused. “Yes, that’s exactly it. I can’t believe you’ve cracked it.” Her voice was laced with sarcasm.

Emma pumped her fist, acting faux smug. “Nice.”

A soft chuckle left Alyssa’s lips as she looked back down at her clipboard. Her fingers were busy playing with the corner of the piece of paper. She glanced over to Emma’s truck where the back door was being closed, the package securely inside. Emma dug through her pockets for her assignment again and handed it over to Alyssa to sign off.

“I’ll see you next week?” Alyssa said as she handed the paper back to Emma. She took a quick step backwards as Emma hopped off the ledge to head back to her truck.

“I sure hope so.”

* * *

By her third visit, Thursdays had easily become Emma’s favorite day of the week.

“So, what am I delivering?” Emma asked as she signed off on Alyssa’s sheet. The crate this week was a lot smaller, about the size of a laundry basket.

“You know I can’t tell you that, Nolan.”

“Right, I have to guess.”

“That’s not what I—“

“Imported meats.”

“What?”

“You know. For sandwiches and stuff. Some people import that shit illegally.”

Bewilderment was one way to describe the look on Alyssa’s face at Emma’s guess. She pursed her lips together and Emma could tell that she was trying not to laugh. “How did you know that Madison Industries is actually just a front for an illegal sandwich shop?”

“Better be some damn good sandwiches.”

As they chatted, no one was rushing to load the crate onto her truck. Emma handed the clipboard back to Alyssa, and dropped her paper on it without unfolding it. She walked over to the crate and bent over to pick it up.

“Careful,” Alyssa said as she unfolded the paper. “It’s heavier than it looks.”

“It’s fine.” Emma lifted the crate with a groan. Maybe it was a bit heavier than she could manage, but she wasn’t going to let Alyssa know that. She gritted her teeth and lifted the box with confidence. “I’m stronger than I look,” she said.

“That you are.” Alyssa had her bottom lip between her teeth as she watched Emma carry the crate to her truck. When Emma set it down in the back and turned around, Alyssa cleared her throat and quickly looked away.

Alyssa blinked a few times, looking down at the paper on the clipboard as Emma returned. She signed it and folded it up again, slipping it into the chest pocket of Emma’s dark blue uniform polo shirt.

Emma’s cheeks flushed. “Thanks, Alyssa,” she muttered.

Alyssa smirked at her. “I’ll see you next week.”

* * *

The next week it was raining. The loading dock of Madison Industries was covered, but Emma had already made a few deliveries earlier in the day that weren’t quite as dry. At one stop, a dog stole an extension cord from the shipment of computers she had been delivering and she had to chase the little guy through the rain to get it back. She had already been soaked to the bone and blasted the heat in her truck to try and dry herself off.

When she stepped out of her truck on Thursday afternoon, the first thing Alyssa said to her was, “Nice hair.”

Emma frowned. Her hair was a frizzy mess, thanks to the rain. “Don’t laugh. I’ve had a day.”

“I’m sorry,” Alyssa said, failing to stifle a giggle. She reached out and tucked some of the poofy curls behind Emma’s ear. “It’s kind of cute.”

Alyssa looked gorgeous, as usual. Her dark brown locks looked soft and there wasn’t a single curl out of place. “How do you keep your hair so perfect in the rain?” Emma asked, taking the clipboard from Alyssa and signing it.

“That’s easy,” Alyssa said. She looked over both shoulders and leaned in, as if telling Emma a big secret. She lowered her voice. “I work indoors.”

Emma glared at her. “You’re hilarious.” She reached into her pocket for the piece of paper, but when she found it, the folded page was stuck together. She struggled to unfold it and some of the text was unreadable from the water damage. “Whoops,” she shrugged.

Alyssa’s smile was soft as she squinted at the page and found the correct place to sign. “What did you do, jump in a lake?”

“I might as well have,” Emma laughed. “It’s been raining buckets all morning.”

“Well, drive safe out there,” Alyssa said as she signed the paper and slipped it into Emma’s shirt pocket. “People can be idiots when it’s raining.”

“Don’t worry,” Emma said, “I won’t damage your precious cargo.”

“Try not to damage that face of yours either,” Alyssa said.

Emma was a bit surprised by her overtly flirtatious remark, but grinned nonetheless. “Oh, yeah, the face is always number one priority.” Alyssa rolled her eyes. “So, care to let me know what I’m delivering this week?”

“Emma, you know that’s confidential.”

“And there’s nothing I can do to get that information out of you?”

“Not during work hours, no.” Alyssa froze, blushing furiously, as if she was surprised the words left her mouth.

Emma decided to be nice and not give her too much shit for it. “I’ll keep that in mind,” she said with a wink as she walked back to her truck. She climbed into the driver’s seat and started the engine, but before she left, she rolled down the window. “Hey, Alyssa!” she called out.

Alyssa had already started to walk inside but she turned around, a small smile on her face. “What?”

“Is it a clone?”

Alyssa shook her head, amused. “Keep trying, Nolan!”

“Maybe I’ll get it next week!”

“Maybe.”

Emma rolled up her window and drove off into the rain, suddenly in a much better mood than she had been that morning.

* * *

Emma was exhausted. She had just made back to back out of state deliveries and had probably gotten no more than eight hours of sleep in the last two to three days. And it was Thursday.

The bags under her eyes were obvious, and Emma could see the concern on Alyssa’s face the moment she stumbled out of her truck.

“Morning,” Emma said through a yawn.

“Emma, it’s two thirty in the afternoon.”

“Same difference.”

“Are you okay?”

Emma shrugged. “I will be once I can get home and sleep.”

Alyssa pursed her lips as she handed over the clipboard. “I’ll be right back,” she said, and disappeared inside.

Emma frowned. She had been looking forward to seeing Alyssa and now she was stuck with the security guys? She nodded to one of them as he walked past her to retrieve the crate. “Hey,” she said. He ignored her.

Emma huffed as she signed and dated the sheet, then began to doodle a sloth in the corner of the paper before she realized that Alyssa would probably have to file it somewhere. Oops. Instead, she scribbled it out and began to play with the pen.

A few seconds later, she broke the pen.

“Shit.”

Emma dropped to the ground to pick up the pieces and tried to hastily put it back together, but it was no use. She stood up just as Alyssa returned, holding a cup of coffee and some cream and sugar packets. Alyssa raised an eyebrow at her guilty expression, then noticed the remnants of the pen sitting atop the clipboard. “I can’t leave you alone for two seconds, can I?”

“Evidently not,” Emma chuckled with a shrug.

“I, uh, brought you a coffee,” Alyssa said, handing the cup over to her and taking back the clipboard, tossing the pen in the trash. “It’s kind of shit, but it’ll keep you awake. And I don’t know how you take it so I just grabbed… everything.” She held out the fistful of cream and sugar packets and shoved it into Emma’s free hand.

“Wow, um, thanks.” Emma tossed the creamer into the trash, but poured some sugar into her cup, balancing it carefully on a rail by the stairs.

“Gross,” Alyssa said.

“Hey, do not judge my coffee intake when I’m this tired.”

“That’s fair,” she laughed.

Finally, with a free hand, she fished out the form from her pocket and handed it to Alyssa. She dug through another pocket to find a pen and handed that to her as well. Alyssa unfolded the paper and signed it. “No guesses this week?” she asked without looking up.

“Hm,” Emma glanced over at the crate that was being loaded onto her truck. It was bigger this week than it had ever been before. “A dinosaur?”

If Emma hadn’t been watching Alyssa intently, she might not have noticed the way her pen froze mid-signature. But when she looked up, she had on the same amused expression that she always did when Emma guessed. “Maybe next time,” Alyssa said and winked at her.

“Maybe next time,” Emma agreed. Alyssa handed back the paper and pen, but Emma only took the paper. “Keep it,” she said. “As an apology for the one I broke.”

“This pen is way worse than the one you broke,” Alyssa frowned. “What is this from, a six pack at the dollar store?”

“Ten pack at Target,” Emma admitted with a frown. “Then consider it an IOU for a replacement.” She began to back away toward her truck.

“I don’t need an IOU, I trust you.” Alyssa stuck the pen in Emma’s shirt pocket. As she leaned in, she said in a hushed voice, “Pilot G2 black. Point five millimeters.”

Emma froze at the feeling of Alyssa’s voice in her ear. After Alyssa leaned back, she cleared her throat. “Got it. Five millimeters.”

“Point five.”

“Yeah, yeah,” Emma waved her off and climbed into her truck. “Next week.”

Alyssa smiled. “Drive safe, Nolan.”

Emma held up her cup. “Thanks for the coffee.”

* * *

One week later, Emma stopped at Staples on her lunch break so she could present Alyssa with a brand new pack of pens.

“You remembered,” Alyssa said, grinning as she took them from her.

“Course I did,” Emma said. “You have a weirdly specific taste in pens.”

Alyssa glared at her. “Have you tried these pens? They’re unparalleled.” Emma snorted. “What?”

“I’ve just never heard anyone describe pens as unparalleled before.”

“Shut up and sign the stupid form.” Alyssa shoved the clipboard into Emma’s hands.

Emma looked over at the loading dock as she signed. Another exceptionally large crate was being loaded onto her truck. “Let me guess.” Emma hummed in thought as she handed the clipboard back to Alyssa. “A fully functional tie fighter?”

“I wish,” Alyssa chuckled. “That would be pretty cool.”

“So it’s something boring?” Emma asked.

“I never said that.”

“You implied it.”

“Unintentionally.”

“So… it’s something interesting?”

Alyssa laughed. “Are you ever going to give it a rest?”

Emma hummed in thought for a moment. “Probably not, no.”

* * *

The week dragged on, but soon enough it was Thursday again, and Emma spent the entire morning looking forward to her afternoon job.

She hopped out of her truck at Madison Industries and walked up the stairs with a spring in her step. Alyssa was already waiting there, as usual, but she looked different today. She had on a bit more makeup than normal, her hair looked especially windswept, and she wore a blouse under her lab coat rather than a t-shirt like she did every other week. There were nerves behind her eyes that seemed to ease as Emma stepped up to her.

“Afternoon, Alyssa,” she said with a grin. “You look nice today.”

Alyssa said nothing, but handed over the clipboard. Emma was a little confused by her curious behavior, but when she looked at the paper to sign, she noticed a purple sticky note in the corner of the page with two words written on it in pristine writing and a line drawn underneath, as if it were a continuation of the form she had to fill out.

_Phone number?_

Emma glanced back up at Alyssa who was studiously avoiding her gaze, cheeks flushed. Emma bit her lip to hide the splitting grin on her cheeks as she wrote out her phone number before signing the sheet, as usual. She placed her own paper on the clipboard for Alyssa to sign.

“There you go,” she said, handing it back to Alyssa.

Alyssa wordlessly signed the form, folded it up, and stuck it into Emma’s pocket.

“Is it an exploding printer?” Emma asked, not even bothering to look at the crate that was being loaded into her truck behind her, too fixated on the brown eyes looking up at her.

Alyssa licked her lips and breathed out a soft laugh as she shook her head. “I’ll see you soon, Emma.”

Emma nodded. “Soon.”

* * *

Emma didn’t see Alyssa again until almost a week later. She was on another out of state delivery and didn’t get back until Wednesday morning.

“I know Wednesday night probably isn’t ideal for a first date,” Emma had said over the phone. “I just… can’t wait to see you.”

“No, it’s perfect,” Alyssa said. “Wednesday night. Eight o’clock.”

“I’ll pick you up?”

“As long as it’s not in your work truck.”

Emma slept all day on Wednesday after she got home, waking up with just enough time to get ready for her date. She pulled up outside Alyssa’s house in her old pickup truck at eight o’clock sharp. She stepped out of her truck, clutching a single sunflower in her hands, and knocked at the door.

A moment later, the door opened and Emma gasped. Alyssa looked breathtaking in a casual, purple dress and boots, and her hair was as flawless as ever. “Wow,” Emma breathed. “You clean up pretty nice.”

Alyssa looked her up and down, a blush creeping onto her cheeks. “You’re not so bad yourself.”

“What?” Emma asked. “You don’t miss the polo shirt?”

“As cute as that is,” Alyssa said, taking a step forward and playing with the collar of her button up, “you look gorgeous in this.”

Emma blushed. “I do kind of miss the lab coat,” she admitted.

Alyssa chuckled. “Maybe I’ll wear it just for you sometime.”

Emma’s cheeks felt hot. She cleared her throat and sputtered. “Uh, this is for you.” She held up the sunflower between them.

“You’re sweet.” Alyssa took it delicately from her hands. Emma just looked at her for a moment, standing there looking beautiful as ever, about to go on a date with her. She couldn’t quite believe her luck. Alyssa blushed under her gaze. “So, um, dinner?”

“Yeah!” Emma said, quickly. “Yeah, of course. This way.” She gestured toward her truck and Alyssa stepped in front of her. When her eyes fell on the truck, she laughed.

“Of _course_ you drive a pick-up.”

“Shut up.”

Dinner with Alyssa was the easiest date Emma had ever been on, in the best possible sense. She wished she had met Alyssa sooner because everything with her just felt right. The banter came easily, the silences weren’t awkward, and the way Alyssa looked at Emma made her feel seen for the first time in a long time. The night passed by far too quickly for Emma’s liking, but they both had to work in the morning, so she pulled up to Alyssa’s place at a reasonable hour and walked her to the door.

“So what exactly is it that you do?” Emma asked, making small talk as they meandered up the driveway toward her front door.

Alyssa smiled awkwardly and tilted her head to the side. “I don’t think I can say,” she sighed. “I’m sorry. You know it’s pretty confidential shit.”

“I know, I know,” she laughed. “I was hoping I could try to get it out of you.”

“You can certainly try,” Alyssa said. As they walked up her front porch steps, she spun around so her back was to the door and she was facing Emma. She leaned in a little closer so their noses were brushing. “Or…”

Emma gulped. “Or?”

“I can distract you so you forget what you were so curious about.”

All that Emma could manage was a quiet whimper before Alyssa’s lips were on hers, kissing her until she forgot her own name, let alone any questions she may have had.

* * *

Emma woke up Thursday morning in her own bed, but with a text message on her phone from Alyssa, and the fresh memory of what it was like to kiss her.

_I had a wonderful time last night x_

Emma grinned into her pillow as she texted back.

_Me too_

She couldn’t wait to see Alyssa later.

It was a long morning, but Emma made it through her first few deliveries with ease. They were all in the city, but it was a few larger loads that took some time to drop off. She exhausted and looking forward to her lunch when she received another text from Alyssa.

_Package is ready early. Would you mind stopping by before lunch?_

Somehow, the prospect of seeing Alyssa was more enticing than her lunch break. Emma quickly typed back, _Sure,_ then hopped into her truck after finishing up this delivery and drove the familiar route to Madison Industries.

Perhaps Emma should have noticed something was amiss when she first arrived and Alyssa wasn’t accompanied by her usual security friends. No, Alyssa was alone at the loading dock, out of her lab coat, and checking her watch as she waited for Emma.

Emma backed her truck up to the platform and went out to meet Alyssa. “Where are your friends?” she asked, looking around at the empty loading dock.

“On lunch,” she said quickly, opening the back of Emma’s truck for her. “Come on, we have to hurry.”

The crate this week was about the size of a dresser, locked with the same keypad mechanism as before. Alyssa seemed a bit frazzled as she began to push it out, constantly looking over her shoulder and checking her watch. Her behavior was curious and Emma was a little concerned. Emma walked up to Alyssa and pulled her gently away from the crate. “Alyssa,” she said, frowning, “what’s wrong?”

“Nothing,” Alyssa replied, a little too quickly. Emma tilted her head, a look of disbelief on her face. Alyssa sighed. “Do you trust me?”

Emma nodded without hesitation. “Of course.”

Alyssa took a deep breath. “Please help me get this onto your truck, and then I’ll explain everything. I promise.”

“Okay.”

Emma found a dolly and helped Alyssa ease the crate onto it, making it easier to roll the package into the back of the truck. She closed the back, returned the dolly, and walked up to Alyssa. As she was about to ask Alyssa again what was wrong, a commotion from behind drew both their attention.

The slam of a door, footsteps, and a voice called out, _“Where the hell did she go?”_

Alyssa’s eyes grew wide. “Shit.”

“Alyssa…?”

“Emma, get in the truck.”

“What are you—“ _BANG!_ A gunshot rang out, causing Emma to let out a shriek.

“I’m so sorry.” Alyssa put a hand on Emma’s arm, pushing her to duck a little as she looked over her shoulder to see where the gunshot came from. “Can you get us out of here?”

Emma gaped at her for a moment. Another gunshot cracked through the air. “I guess!”

Alyssa pushed her toward the driver’s side, then took off running around the other way to the passenger side. Emma, still in shock, fumbled for the keys in her pocket as she climbed into the truck and started the engine. A few more gunshots rang out as they buckled, and Emma stepped on the gas and pulled them out of there as fast as the heavy truck could manage.

“Alyssa, what the _fuck?!”_ Emma cried out. As she sped around the corner, three black sedans followed closely behind. The windows rolled down more gunshots fired.

“Shit,” Alyssa muttered. “I know I owe you an explanation.” She opened her bag and fumbled through it, pulling out a gun.

_“Is that a fucking gun?!”_

“No, it’s a turkey sandwich. _Yes it’s a fucking gun!”_ Alyssa rolled down the window and fired two shots. One missed, and one cracked the windshield of the closest sedan. Emma turned another corner and the cars were out of her sight for a moment. “Can you drive any faster?”

“It’s a semi truck, Lys, not a sports car. I’m going as fast as I can.”

The sedans closed in on them, two pulling up on their right and one on the left. Alyssa took a deep breath and fired one shot, blowing out a tire of the front car, sending it screeching to a halt. The car behind it was going fast enough that it slammed into it, incapacitating them both. “Okay, those two are taken care of.”

“One left.” Emma nervously glanced out of the corner of her eye as the car sped up. The passenger raised his gun and As he was about to fire into Emma’s window, she swerved out of the way. Emma screamed and ducked out of the way as the bullet ricocheted off the windshield, leaving a large crack. As the truck swerved on the road, cars honked at them.

“Shit, are you all right?”

“I think so?” Emma wasn’t so sure, but she seemed alive and that was enough for now. She turned another corner and heard a nearby ringing sound, signaling a train crossing soon. “I’ve got an idea.”

Emma drove toward the sound until she found the train tracks. The crossing barriers were already down, but the train hadn’t quite reached them yet. She floored it. “Emma, what are you doing?”

Emma glanced over at her with a nervous grin. “Something probably crazy.”

She broke through the barriers and kept going. The train was so close to them that Alyssa screamed as they passed it by, but soon enough they crossed to the other side of the tracks unscathed, just as the freight train whizzed past behind them, blocking the last sedan from following. Emma screeched to a halt for a moment to catch her breath.

“Holy shit.” She looked over at Alyssa. “That actually worked.”

“We’re not out of the woods yet.”

“I know.” After taking a moment to breathe, Emma sped down the road again. “Can you open the glove box?” Alyssa nodded and opened it. “There’s a small black box in there with a red light and some wires sticking out of it.”

“I see it.”

“Can you just… pull it out?” Alyssa looked at her curiously. “It’s a GPS tracker installed in all our company trucks. Get rid of it.”

“You don’t even know why you’re helping me yet.”

Emma could only shrug. “I trust you.”

Alyssa nodded. She tugged at the small black box, ripping the wires. The red light went dim. “There.” She turned to Emma again. “Get us somewhere safe and I promise I’ll explain everything.”

Emma looked back out at the road and pulled onto the freeway. “There’s a truck stop a couple hours out that’s a little off the beaten path.”

“Sounds perfect.”

They fell into silence for a while, the only sound between them coming from Emma’s eclectic taste in music that played on the speakers. Soon, Alyssa spoke up again.

“So do you think this counts as our second date?” Emma gaped at her, still a little shaken from the gunfight and car chase she had just barely made it out of. “Right, nope, bad joke.”

* * *

It was a few hours of driving before Emma caught sight of the familiar exit sign. It was only early afternoon, but Emma had skipped lunch and was getting hungry, and Alyssa kept fidgeting next to her, growing antsy in her seat. She probably wasn’t as used to long hours in a car as Emma was.

Emma cleared her throat as she drove off the freeway. “We’re almost there.”

“Thank god,” Alyssa sighed. “I really have to pee.”

“Fair warning, the bathroom is disgusting. And if you’re planning on getting food the only thing that’s safe to eat is the pizza. Trust me.”

Alyssa chuckled. “Good to know.”

Emma pulled into the parking lot, empty save for one other truck making a quick stop, and turned off the engine. “So.”

Alyssa pursed her lips. “Can you meet me in the back of the truck in five minutes? I want to explain, but I think it would be easier if I just… showed you.”

“I finally get to know what’s in these fucking crates?” Emma asked. Alyssa nodded. “Okay. I’ll see you in a few.”

Emma went inside to grab some food and a Diet Coke. She checked her phone as she waited at the register and found that she had six missed calls and twenty three texts from her boss. “Sorry, Barry,” she said, frowning.

Hopefully she hadn’t made a mistake in trusting Alyssa.

When Emma got back to the truck, Alyssa had already opened the back and was sitting with her feet hanging off the edge. She smiled as Emma walked up. Emma set down her food and climbed into the back. She helped Alyssa up, butterflies flaring in her chest when Alyssa’s soft hand lingered in her own a moment longer than necessary. Once she was standing, Emma closed the back, leaving them alone in the darkness. She turned on the light on her phone and Alyssa did the same.

“Hi,” Emma said.

“Hey,” Alyssa muttered. They stood for a moment, faces inches apart, just looking at each other. Alyssa looked nervous, almost embarrassed. Emma just wanted to know what was going on.

“So… talk to me.”

Alyssa took a deep breath. “I’m an animal behavior specialist working at Madison Industries on a… special project. I’ve been studying certain creatures, and, well, I think it would be best if I just showed you.” She turned to the crate and entered four numbers on the keypad. A lock clicked, and she was able to pull open that side of the box.

A soft, orange glow emitted from the crack as it opened, and when Emma could peer inside, she saw a large birdcage with a reddish orange bird behind the bars. It was large and majestic, emitting a faint glow. Its long, flowing tail almost looked as though it was engulfed in flames, or maybe it was a flame itself.

It let out a quiet squawk, and Alyssa gently hushed it. She poked her fingers into the cage and stroked its beak.

Emma stood, mouth gaping, as she took in the sight of this fantastical bird. “Is that… a Phoenix?”

Alyssa nodded, smiling. “Most of the creatures we’ve been studying are extremely dangerous, so when it’s been deemed by my superiors that we have no further use with them, they’re sent to a black site to be… taken care of.”

Emma gulped. “Taken care of?”

Alyssa frowned. “Euthanized, basically. It’s horrible. Truly horrible. But I—I went along with it because it’s a good job and they were really dangerous creatures. I—I had seen them kill people. But she’s harmless.” Alyssa turned back to the Phoenix in the cage. “She wouldn’t hurt a fly and they were just going to kill her. I couldn’t…” She sighed.

Emma was shaking. “So you’re saying all this time I’ve been driving magical creatures to their death?”

Alyssa just shrugged. “More or less.”

“I guess that explains all the red tape.” Emma stepped up to the cage next to Alyssa and peered through the bars. The Phoenix bobbed her head and looked at Emma curiously. She smiled. “She’s beautiful.”

“She is,” Alyssa agreed.

Emma frowned. “Wouldn’t a Phoenix… I mean—you’re the expert, but with the mythology—wouldn’t it just come back to life?”

“Apparently the black site team has been researching ways to make sure that doesn’t happen.”

Emma’s eyes grew wide. “Seriously?” Alyssa nodded. “That’s fucked.”

“I know,” Alyssa sighed.

“So, what else?”

“Hm?”

“What else have I driven?”

“Oh, um, a lot of different things,” Alyssa looked down as she thought back. “The first one was a yeti.”

“A yeti?” Emma gasped. “Like an actual honest to god fucking yeti?”

Alyssa nodded. “Yeah. He bludgeoned my coworker on our first day.”

“Shit.”

“Then was a basilisk. Our scientists still haven’t quite found a cure for petrification.”

“Wow.”

“After that was a strix who left me with this.” Alyssa pulled down the collar of her shirt a little to reveal a scratch mark down her shoulder, the red marks still not fully healed and would probably scar. “Do you want me to continue?”

Emma shook her head, eyes glued to the marks on Alyssa’s skin.. “No—no, that’s not necessary.” She looked back to the Phoenix. “So what’s her name?”

Alyssa shrugged. “We called her E7715.”

Emma frowned. “Well we can’t call her that.” She stared at the bird, hoping to form maybe some sort of telepathic link with her to learn her name. The bird blinked. This clearly wasn’t working. Emma hummed, thinking for a moment. “How about Ellis?” The bird squawked.

Alyssa looked at them in awe and laughed. “Ellis? You like that, huh?” Ellis cooed again. Emma turned to watch Alyssa stick her finger through the bars of the cage and stroke Ellis’s beak again. “So you don’t think I’m crazy?” Alyssa asked, her voice timid, as if she was afraid of the answer.

Emma shook her head. “No,” she muttered. “I think you’re kind of amazing.”

Alyssa looked up at her, eyes wide and beautifully reflecting in the light of the Phoenix’s lambent glow. Emma closed the distance between them and kissed her. Alyssa’s lips were soft and her hands were gentle as they gripped her waist, and although they had kissed many times the night before, there was something about this kiss that was magical.

* * *

The windows were rolled down, letting the warm spring air into the cabin of the truck. The late afternoon sun was about to disappear beyond the horizon. Alyssa’s hair whipped in the wind, flying wildly into her face, but she looked content. She shouted something, but Emma couldn’t hear her over the roar of the wind as they sped down the highway.

“What?”

Alyssa rolled up her window and Emma did the same. “Where are you taking us, anyway?” she asked.

“My grandma has a farm in rural Indiana,” Emma explained. “No cell service, not a lot of visitors. She’s never taken care of a Phoenix before but has a lot of other animals. I figured it’d be a good place for Ellis. And if we need to lay low for a while, she loves having guests.”

“Right,” Alyssa muttered, looking down at her lap. “Sorry I sort of dragged you into this. I’m sure your boss won’t be too thrilled.”

“I’m still ignoring his seven voicemails and forty nine text messages,” Emma chuckled. “Alyssa, I’m here because I want to be here. I promise.”

Alyssa looked out the window at the setting sun. “Still, I didn’t give you much of a choice. And we probably can’t go back anytime soon. I—I didn’t really think this through. I’m sorry.”

Emma could tell that Alyssa felt bad about the whole situation, but didn’t want her to worry. She wished she knew exactly what to say that would reassure her, but she still hardly knew Alyssa. There was so much she had to learn about the woman.

Instead of trying to say something reassuring, Emma settled for her usual course of action: a bad joke.

“Hey, as far as second dates go, it’s not the worst one I’ve ever been on.”

Alyssa turned to stare at her, a baffled look on her face, but after a moment, she cracked. Alyssa let out a sharp laugh and she smiled.

Emma made a quick mental note that, at least in this situation, her bad joke helped. She kept one hand on the steering wheel and reached across the center console for Alyssa’s hand. She brushed her knuckles against the back of Alyssa’s hand, but hesitated to grab it. After a moment, Alyssa turned her hand and laced their fingers together.

Emma gave a reassuring squeeze and continued driving as the sun finally dipped below the horizon. She had no idea what the future had in store, but maybe with Alyssa by her side, the unknown wouldn’t be so bad. In fact, it might be something pretty spectacular.

**Author's Note:**

> I have no clue where this came from but it was fun to write so I hope you enjoyed! Let me know what ya think in the comments! Or if you have any suggestions for how to describe this weird au, let me know!


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